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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

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Published on: March 14, 2017

The hazards of iron loading.

Eugene D Weinberg¹

¹Department of Biology and Program in Medical Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. eweinber@indiana.edu

Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science

|November 13, 2010

Summary

Excessive iron accumulation in tissues is a significant health risk, contributing to aging and mortality. Understanding iron toxicity mechanisms and defense systems is crucial for developing new therapies.

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Pathology
Toxicology

Background:

Excessive or misplaced tissue iron is linked to numerous diseases.
Iron overload contributes to aging and mortality.
Iron's dual role as a catalyst for free radical formation and a nutrient for pathogens/cancer cells poses a health threat.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the health risks associated with excessive tissue iron.
To discuss the mechanisms by which iron causes harm.
To emphasize the variability in cellular iron toxicity and defense mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on iron metabolism and toxicity.
Analysis of the role of iron in various disease pathologies.
Examination of factors influencing iron toxicity and defense systems.

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Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes

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Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

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Published on: March 14, 2017

Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) for Quantification of Iron Redox Species (Fe(II), Fe(III))

Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) for Quantification of Iron Redox Species (Fe(II), Fe(III))

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Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes

Published on: May 10, 2022

Main Results:

Tissue iron overload is implicated in a wide range of diseases including endocrinological, gastrointestinal, infectious, neoplasmic, neurodegenerative, and vascular conditions.
Iron contributes to cellular damage through free radical formation and supports the growth of microbes and cancer cells.
Individual cellular sensitivity to iron toxicity varies, influenced by environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors.

Conclusions:

Iron toxicity is a significant and multifaceted health concern.
Effective iron withholding defense mechanisms are critical for health.
Emerging methods for the prevention and therapy of iron toxicity offer new treatment avenues.